Banff Mountain Film Fest: A Week and a Half Worth Watching

October 20 2014

The spirit of adventure drives the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival for nine epic days every fall, and this year will surely be no exception. If you're not yet familiar with Banff, here's the quick and dirty rundown of the Fest, from the Banff website:

"The world’s best mountain films, books, and speakers take the spotlight for nine days each fall in Banff. Experience the adventure of climbing, mountain expeditions, remote cultures, and the world’s last great wild places – all brought to life at The Banff Centre.The Festival offers a diverse range of experiences for the thousands of people who visit Banff to attend this world-class event. From armchair adventurers to weekend warriors, to the international mountain community – our enthusiastic audience brings the energy to this event!"

This year has been full of beautiful filmmaking, and for many of us, Banff presents the first opportunity to see the full-length version of the most anticipated adventure and eco-films we've only seen glimpses of thus far. Spend a few days -- or the entire week and a half -- sitting amid filmmakers, artists, environmental advocates, epic explorers and hardcore adventurers and you'll leave a little more than excited. Banff is a breeding ground for inspiration, and it has a habit of bringing even the most devout desk-workers to feel compelled to ditch their nine-to-five schedule in favor of living a life like the one they see in one of many films at Banff. There are so many incredible filmmakers who submit their work to Banff every year, and for 2014, there's an impressive list of films, which you can view here.

We've got our eyes on a few favorites, some of which you can watch the trailers for below.

"When a newbie kayaker goes paddling, he discovers a posse of pros on the river and wonders whether someday he could be that cool. A daydream in the eddy transforms the purple-helmeted rookie into a whitewater Adonis."

"This powerful film odyssey across America explores the sea change in our national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers."

"In Southeastern Utah, one of the last vast wild places in the lower 48 sits teetering on a precipice of rampant industrial development. Home to the most stunning desert landscapes in the world, the Greater Canyonlands Region has become the playground of adventurous souls who love and appreciate the wonder of wild places."